The invention relates to apparatus for the improvement of the optical qualities of optical microscopes, preferably for increasing the magnifying capacity, relative depth sharpness and the resolving power of such microscopes that are also suitable for producing three-dimensional images. A further object of this invention is to provide an image-producing device that can be attached to, or built into such apparatus, and can be used also as a part of the apparatus according to the invention.
Magnifying instruments of various types are indispensable in the technical and scientific spheres of life, e.g. optical microscopes, macroscopes, astronomical telescopes as well as instruments for space research, but photography, film production and film projection can not be undertaken without optical magnifying instruments either. Obviously there is a great demand for the improvement of the optical qualities of magnifying apparatus, e.g. of optical microscopes, for increasing their magnifying power, relative depth sharpness and higher resolving power.
The published Hungarian patent application No. 5153/86 relates to an apparatus the purpose of which is to satisfy the demand for improving the quality of known magnifying systems, that is to improve optical qualities of composite magnifying systems, e.g. their relative depth sharpness and resolving power. The proposed apparatus consists of primary and secondary objectives and between them an image visualizing plate containing an image visualizing layer between the primary and secondary objectives. The image visualizing plate is positioned in the image plane of the primary objective, which coincides with the object plane of the secondary objective, and it is moved and also rotated at this point. The image visualizing plate contains particles dissipated in a substance, the refractive index of which particles differs from the refractive index of the substance A matt glass sheet may be used, for example, as an image visualizing plate.
When using such image visualizing plates depending on their actual construction and materialxe2x80x94the quality of the image produced by the composite magnifying apparatus, or microscopes mentioned in the introduction of this specification can, in theory, be improved to some extent, the required depth of sharpness and good resolving power, as well as images with sharp contrasts/contours could be obtained, yet practical experience proves that in cases of magnifications exceeding eight hundred times, certain fuzziness, chromatic and other aberrations occur on the magnified images of the microscopic sections, along their contours, due to which aberrations blurred images can be produced.
An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that also contains a rotating image visualizing plate through which the optical qualities of the various types of magnifying instruments, particularly optical microscopes can be improved, their relative depth of sharpness, magnifying capacity and resolving power can be increased, and by this means also in cases far exceeding the above mentioned magnification range, aberrations, rainbow-effects and other faults can be avoided, thereby faultless images of the required sharpness can be obtained.
The invention is based on the recognition that if a tertiary microscope objective is inserted between the rotatable image visualizing plate and the secondary microscope objective in an inverse position as compared to the latter, the above-mentioned causes of fuzziness and chromatic aberrations of the image are eliminated, by moving the inserted tertiary objective to-and-fro along the optical axis; or by increasing the length of the light path the sharpness of the image can be regulated and even set as required, if the tertiary objective is held in a fixed position, and a mirror-pair is placed in the light path between the tertiary and secondary objectives, the members of the V-shaped mirrors forming a 90 degree angle with each other and the mirrors being arranged at a distance from and parallel to each other. In this latter solution the tertiary objective of the apparatus is in a fixed position and the sharpness of the image is obtained through the movement of the two mirror-pairs placed in the way of the light path between the secondary and tertiary objectives moved in relation to one and other, preferably by the to-and-fro movement of one mirror pair.
Various types of such devices can be used as a rotating image visualizing plate; e.g. according to our further recognition a structure that consists of two parts as described in the following may be suitable for the apparatus according to the invention. One part of this device is a rigid transparent sheet, functioning as the image visualizing plate""s carrying body for a single layer of transparent image visualizing substance, which is the second part of the device. This substance is applied to the carrying body in a liquid, spreadable state, where it sticks/adheres, solidifies, yet remains transparent, though simultaneously or subsequently to its application, small concavations and protrusions and sideways standing formations are created in it, these blend into one another; in other words: the layer is composed of such formations. A two component synthetic-resin can be used as the basic material of the image visualizing layer, like the substance called xe2x80x9cUVE Rapidxe2x80x9d, available in the retail trade.
On the basis of the above detailed recognition, the object according to the invention was attained by an apparatus for the improvement of optical qualities of optical microscopes, said microscopes comprising an illuminating unit, a condenser lens, a primary microscope objective with an optical axis, and an ocular or a camera; said apparatus being insertable between the primary microscope objective and the ocular or camera, and said apparatus comprising a rotatable image visualizing-plate and a secondary objective, whereby said secondary objective is positioned on said optical axis when the apparatus is inserted in the microscope and it has the same orientation as the primary microscope objective.
This apparatus is characterised in that that it comprises a tertiary microscope objective that is arranged between the image visualizing plate and the secondary objective, the tertiary microscope objective being arranged on the same optical axis as the secondary objective and being inversely orientated with respect to the secondary objective.
In order to be able to regulate and set image-sharpness the tertiary objective is movable to-and-fro along its optical axis.
According to another example of the apparatus mirror-pairs for regulating the image sharpness are built into the apparatus, the mirror pairs have a V-pattern in cross-section and are arranged with a variable spacing from each other; the mirror-pairs have mirrors forming a 90 degree angle with each other, and enclose a 45 degree angle with a plane extending between the secondary microscope objective and the tertiary microscope objective and which is vertical to the optical axis of the apparatus; one mirror pair of the mirror pairs has a fixed position between the secondary objective and the tertiary objective, and the other mirror pair is placed aligned and parallel with the fixed mirror pair and is movable to and from it; the outer surface of the mirrors of the fixed mirror pair, and the inner surface of the mirrors of the movable mirror pair is formed as a reflecting surface (sleek).
It may also be advantageous to arrange a divided linear polar foil between the collector lens and the condenser lens of the optical microscope and placing linear polar fiol(s) on the ocular lens, preferably on the binocular.
Advantageously the image visualizing plate has a rigid, transparent carrying body and an image visualizing layer formed on the surface of the carrying body, and this image visualizing layer being formed by a substance applied in liquid state to the surface of the carrying body, the substance is transparent in its solidified state on this surface, the free surface of the solidified substance contains concavations and protrusions blending into each other with arcuate (curved) sections.
According to a preferred example of the image visualizing plate the carrying body is preferably formed by a circular disc made of a solid plastic plate with a mass density lower than that of glass, or by a plastic or metal screen plate containing apertures of 0.5-3.0 mm; this carrying body is heat and deformation resistant in the temperature-range of xe2x88x9240xc2x0 C. and +100xc2x0 C. and has a thickness of 0.75-0.8 cm.
Advantageously on the surface of the image visualizing layer covering the carrying body there are 20-50 concavations and protrusions/cm2, their average depth and height, respectively is about 10.0-20.0 xcexcm, preferably between 15.0-18.0 xcexcm, and the deviation from the average depth/height values is preferably not more than 50%; and the area of projection of configurations appearing and measured under and above a fictitious dividing plane and blending into each other with arcuate (curved) sections is about between 2.0-5.0 mm2.
Finally, it may be advantageous if the image visualizing layer is formed by a two-component synthetic resin or a synthetic foam or polystyrene dissolved in a nitro-solvent or a varnish (lacquer) derivative (nitro-varnish) or by some similar substance applied in liquid form to the surface of the carrying body, and configurations blending into each other are made in the substance in its not yet solidified state, and then the substance is allowed to solidify.